I was sitting across from James, my heart thumping in my chest, and the atmosphere was heavy with tension. No matter how awful the truth might be, I had to know it.
"What are you talking about, Emma?" James questioned in a bewildered tone. "What did you find?"
I inhaled deeply, attempting to calm my anxiety. With my voice almost audible above a whisper, I continued, "I found an article about your father's financial scandal." "And then I started getting these weird messages, telling me to stay away from you."
James's face changed, and I noticed a glimmer of worry in his eyes. "Emma, I can explain—"
"Explain what?" I cut her off, suddenly furious. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"It's intricate," he remarked while stroking his hair. "I didn't want it to affect our relationship."
"Our relationship?" I repeated myself, letting up a little bit. "James, it's not like we're really dating. Remember that we have a contract?"
"I know, I know," he uttered in a hushed tone. "But Emma, you're still important to me. I didn't mean to frighten you away."
Anger, hurt, and an odd feeling of betrayal swirled around inside of me. "How can I trust you now?" My voice trembled as I asked. "You've been keeping secrets from me."
"Please, Emma," he begged, extending his hand to grasp mine across the table. "I've changed from who I was then. I've evolved."
I felt a lump in my throat as I withdrew my hand. I got up from the table and said, "I need time to process this." "I can't be around you right now."
"Emma, wait!" James yelled at me, but I had already turned to leave with tears burning in my eyes.
All kinds of ideas and feelings were racing through my head as I drove home. How could I have had such poor vision? I ought to have seen James was not who he seemed to be. I was left with more questions than answers at this point.
The following few days seemed to fly by, and I discovered that I had to avoid James at all costs. I was at a loss for what to think or feel. A part of me hoped that he had turned his life around, but I was also afraid of getting wounded.
Sophia said, "Emma, you can't keep avoiding him forever," as the two of us sat with a bowl of popcorn in my living room. "You need to talk to him."
"I know, I know," I said with a sigh as I ran my hand through my hair. "But what if he's just going to lie to me again?"
Her words, "You won't know until you give him a chance," came as she lightly squeezed my shoulder. "He seemed pretty genuine when we met him."
"I guess," I muttered, experiencing a mixture of fear and doubt. "But what if he's not who I thought he was?"
My heart skipped a beat as the doorbell rang at that precise moment. "Who could that be?" I looked at the clock and inquired.
"There's only one way to find out," Sophia smiled encouragingly at me.
My eyes widened in astonishment when I opened the door after taking a big breath. "James?"
"Emma," he whispered in a quiet, desperate voice. "We need to talk."
I was hesitant for a while, but there was a sign in his eyes that this was significant. I said, "Okay," and moved aside to give him access. "Come on in."
I sensed the tension in the air as we moved to the living room. After giving me a sly glance, Sophia excused herselfand left the two of us alone.
James apologized to Emma in a tone that was rife with emotion. "I should have been honest with you from the beginning."
My heart was racing when I sat down on the couch. "Why weren't you?" My question was hardly audible above a whisper.
He ran a hand through his hair and said, "I was scared." "I didn't want you to think I was some kind of criminal."
"But you're not, are you?" I questioned, looking for the truth in his eyes.
"No," he responded with a head shake. "My father's transgressions were unrelated to me. As soon as I saw what he was doing, I quit the company."
His honesty was evident in his eyes, and I felt a burden leave my chest. "I accept you," I responded, extending my hand to grasp his.
James sucked in a trembling breath and entwined his fingers with mine. "Emma, I'm very sorry. I had no intention of hurting you."
I felt a peculiar connection between us when I squeezed his hand. Saying in a voice that was hardly audible above a whisper, "I know," "I'm sorry too."
The tension in the air changed as we sat there, and I became sharply aware of how close we were. My pulse raced with eagerness as I felt his breath on my face.
I just leaned in and put my lips to his without thinking. The kiss started out sweet and delicate but became more passionate and fierce as the seconds passed. Despite my best efforts to resist, I could feel a fire kindle within me and realized that I was falling for him.
The same ranges of feelings were visible in James's eyes when we eventually parted ways. For a brief while, we sat there in quiet, each of us trying to regain our breath.
James murmured, "Emma," his voice raspy and low with emotion. "I"
My phone buzzed on the coffee table, interrupting him before he could continue his sentence. As I read the message, my heart sank as I cast a quick glance down at the screen.
Emma, I forewarned you. You will now have to pay."
Fear spreading across my eyes, I glanced up at James. "What does this mean?" My voice trembled as I asked.
James became more worried, and I could sense it in his demeanor. Saying in a deep, serious voice, "I don't know," "But we need to be careful."
Things were going to get a lot more complicated, I realized, as I sat there, my mind racing with a million possible ideas. I was being targeted by someone, but I couldn't tell who or why. All I knew was that I was in over my head, and I couldn't shake the feeling that my involvement with James had been the biggest mistake of my life.